Time-controlled mechanism.



w. A. HEINRICH. TIME CONTROLLI-ID IVIECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED IIIIIE15,1917- Patented Apr. `1, 1919.

Ipossible for them,

TIME-CONTROLLED MECHANISM.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER A. HEINRICH, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louis, `State ofA Missouri, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Time-Controlled Mechanism, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such aswill enable-others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingpart of this specication. l

is invention relates generally to time l controlled apparatus, andspecifically to certain improvements in `time switch controlling andoperating mechanisms of` the sort periodically operated at predeterminedtimes.

'While time controlledj mechanisms for controlling switches forelectrical circuits are not new, it appears that such devices have notmet with the universal acceptance particularly by the smaller users,such as the smaller stores, and the like, which employ illuminated showwindows or electric signs. I attribute this circumstance primarily totwo causes, viz., the high cost of the apparatus heretofore offered, andthe complexity of its construction and the resulting inaccuracy.

`The purpose of my invention is to pro-I vide certain improvements in atime switch mechanism of the sort disclosed in the copending applicationof Greenstreet .and umm, Serial Number 171,418, filed May 28, 1917, byvirtue of which improvements the flexibility of the device is greatlyincreased, and its operation and adjustment 1n certain particulars isconsiderably simplied. To this purpose, my invention contemplates theprovision of an improved dayskipping arrangement, as well as anarrangement for facilitating the starting of the mechanism. Theseimprovements are so simple in the means employed, and so advantageouslydisposed, as to render .their operation and utilization so easy as t0make them appeal to the most unskilled prospective buyer. ,1

A further object is to provide an improved day-skipping mechanismwhereby the' switch operating train may be locked and positively heldagainst operation for .a predetermined period of time, and then releasedat the end of said period of reten- Specication of Letters Patent.

Application mea June 15,1917. seriaino. 174,888.

tion, the said restraining mechanism being operable operating mechaapoint where it is most effective to t against operation, fords the leastliability of injury to the switch operating mechanism.

A further object isto provide a starting device whereby the timemechanism may be hereinafter, referenceloeinlT had to the acown as theWaterbur It is contemplated that this frame, together Vwith the partscarried thereby, shall be mountedwithin a conven- `tional clock casingwhich may be iixed in any suitable disposal. It is to beunderstood alsothat this frame carries the com.- plete conventional .time trainmechanism which 1s custom ary in the variety of movemovement.

time train are shown, the parts illustrated being for the most partportions of the switch operating train. .the first `place the springstaii" 2 carrying the 'spring wheel .4f and having associated ytherewith in the conventionalI relationship be wound up in and where itafprising the spur pinions 8, 9 and 10, the last mentioned of whichmeshes with pinion 11i. conjoined-Ito a governor fan 12';

The. periodic operation of -the spring vvvlieel- 4 may be controlledfrom the associatedy 2Q, n s adapted tocop'eratewith. the B Olfhed.Qeripjhelr.;l ofA the springl wheel 4, 1n

which, at preeteiniined, intervals, are formed, the*deep(fnotchesjl4%.', The .statt 28 also. carries theholdf ng.i arm 32 which Visdisl-to,coperateivitlrastud 34 carried on. the.;spur.,jvheel` 10Q E The;tripping. e stati1 carries;y the.: litting arm y 36, i which i has aforwardly direetedgp'ort'on 5 6. crossingbef low coperatloneyvith:counting arm 2Q; 'aflateiallyturned itripping. `portion I3,61. Mountedonthe frontggoi the iframe, 1

is `a settingsfdeyice, including the conjoined Platen 2,6,i settingdial*` @lenditflrplnea arms 221; T lhileigp'inionl: designed to. be,driven from'they conventional minute hand sleeveof theimermoyementin:thekratio of `l to `24,

v l, i. e., the 111.011,26( s given, .onerotation upon of trnrrv'hereby,nppnrotation ofpin ion n ie'p'arin] will beraisedto liftcountingA- vgandd'iolding. arnrBQ out Aol-len.- eeeemert ...vult the...Sivit-Gli. Operating trein, or" the jurpose f rpermitting the operationof the, latter',l at, the, ,predetermined period. It i ,obviousqthau iunder.. normal` operation, thegsavitch ,operatil, train e Jvillfbe thus`releasec for; operation f. t twice ,l in twenty-.four houx, L,beingcontemplated thai-pone` o'l these operations willturn ,on the switch andthe ther ieper tionvwill turn ito,

Inonjunction ,With, JShe.. periodic mechan Ajust described, A anhwhich.,I r do` not elainias my ininention, I ,employ ,a `.novel ,eVarrangeme]it which includes in y I 'first ,place Vthe rotatable; and,adj u stable Staff, 4Q' Carries. ladjacent its inner exetrenntywa;cam,41 andmat'iits outer exireletisttee! 'handle .421harine; 5LSS0- dtherewith, a pointer 44 anda restrain- 651 apgnarejsgieg; Therebyseneylawheei 4e is As Will be seen by reference to Fig. 1, the

cam 41-H has a mutilated portions/41,fthefextent,ofavhicheis .equalangularly to the ex tent of the anglethrough Which the Geneva Wheel isrotated by.` ,onev4 rotation ,of (thejpinL ion,,26v.i.` Arranged \tocoperateivvith-the periphery Aonthe .carnf4l is a llockinof,"ilever` 50whichV ispivoted atl. and ,held V.untder the tension cfa .spring.52.,The `other extremit of .the lockingglever.- i50 carries a shortfracmemhen 154 Which V,may Joe` swung finto l-mesh with, the governorfa'nwpinion `l1 `upon, i depression or' 'the s other vend of the.lockingA lef ver. byE :the spring52, Theaposition yoli theloclginoglever isI controlled ,by t the Acana 141 so that, when theextremity,;cf. ,the.;.locking lever 550 f is` Within, the` mutilatedyportion;4 41a of thecamthe rack member. .-54 wiligbe `in mesh With 4thepinionvll... l Withk .the parts in this position', the pinion .11.Willbe ,locked against movement, `and the `entire :operating train Willbe held against operationyeven when relieved of 1the-,restraint of(holding ar1n32 and countingarm.29.l .VVhengthe ex tremity of lockingylever y.50. is in engager ment ,with the immutilatedf perimeter of thecam 4.1, the racl; member. 54Will be heldout of .engagement with fthe.pinioirll, so that' the mechanism may be tree to :operate ``whenrelieved of, the restraint of `holding. ,arm .32 and counting ,arm 29; gy

By virtuepf the arrangement just def scribed, it .will .be obvious.thatfthe operating mechanism may. be restrainedfagainst opera tionthroughout .a period Yoi anentiretwentyfour. hours, at. the; endbf.y.ivhich time l.the mechanism nvill beleity free-3 .tooperate .durf ingthe succeeding six days. `The day o disability,` it will;` beobvious,f1nayA be i .predeterf mined by, thesctting of the cani/41relative tothe. Geneva. .Wheel 46, which isolating, as above explained,maybe made by Withdravvingloclingi ,pin ,45, .from engagement `withdiall 47, z andthen rotating. the. stai?` `Whenthus releasedwtoL ,placeit in the ,desiredpositioni The dia-1.47 is designed. tovbe disposed,.inthe plane of: ,the dial .et the.clock,.and islsuitably subdividedy by.calibrations;` so as r to indicate the seven.` davs ofy the` Week,iandZ ithus permit the "adj ustinent of the: cam41 t0: .theeproprposition. e, .During such time as .the Geneva wheel4 46mis .freeffromlug ,26", itis .held against rotation by the expansiveppoufeenfof thelspring,49,.which ,is heldwaundercompression-,between .a .collar 40?'.carried lon Athestatl",

riods, and as it is also desirable that the device shall be Afixed inposition in conjunction with the switch which it operates and -thecircuit controlled thereby, I have found it of high importance toprovide a device whereby the time mechanism may be started by anunskilled person without requiring the opening of the clock casing. Byreference to Fig. 1, it will be understood that 60 designates theescapement wheel of the time movement, which wheel, of course, isactuated in the conventional fashion from the clock spring.

he escapement wheel 60 is controlled by a pallet 61'in the conventionalfashion, which pallet ispivoted at 62, and its rocking is accomplishedthrough the lever 64 which is swung by the balance wheel. At 65 I haveshown a fragmentary section of the clock casing, upon which casing andon the frame 1 is mounted a push rod 66 normally held in an outwardposition by a spring 67, its outward movement being limited by a stop68. A head 69 disposed exterior of the casing 65 furnishes a convenientmeanswhereby the rod 66 may be engaged and thrust inwardly. Upon suchoperation the inner extremity of the rod 66 makes contact with thedisengaged arm of the pallet 61, or with the lever 64, and swings thesaid pallet and the lever in such fashion as to release-the escapementwheel 60 and the balance wheel from their stationary positions, andthereby initiate the operation of the time mechanism.

From the foregoing description of the construction and operation of myimprovements, it is to be seen that they provide very simple attachmentsto a conventional form of clock movement by virtue of which it isaccommodated to the operation' of a day-skipping switch-turningmechanismby the addition of very few and simple parts, and that themanipulation and setting of the mechanism '1s so -simple and obviousthat it may be successfully undertaken by one having `no previousexperience or special skill in connection with such devices. It islikewise to be observed that my improvements supply par- Copies of thispatentmay be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the ticularlyuseful and advantageous features to the device without materiallyincreasing its cost, and tend therefore to render such devices availableto possible purchasers of limited means.

I am, aware that the embodiment of the invention herein described issusceptible of ,modifications and variations without departing from thescope of the invention as indicated in the following claims.

What I claim is:

l. In a time controlled mechanism, the combination with a periodicallyoperated train, of a constantly rotated wheel, a rota tably mountedshaft, a Geneva wheel loosely mounted on said shaft and adapted to beperiodically actuated by the constantly rotated wheel, means for lockingthe Geneva wheel to the shaft, a cam carried by said shaft, a lockingmember controlled by said cam and adapted to engage a part of theperiodically operated train, said cam capable of being arranged indifferent positions with `respect to the Geneva wheel, and means forguiding the operation of the cam positioning means.

2. In a time-controlled mechanism, the combination of a periodicallyoperated train, a constantly rotated wheel, a driven 'wheel actuatedthereby in different ratio, a sta' member, a cam member mounted forrotation and to move bodily lengthwise carried by said staff, a lockinglever controlled by said cam member and adapted to coperate with theperiodic train to hold it against operation, and means for adjustablysecuring said staff for movement with said driven Wheel, said lastmentioned means including a perforated disk cooperating with the drivenwheel, an arm carried by the stad", and a pin carried by said arm, whichpin is adapted to enter any one of the perforations in said disk.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature this 7th day of June,1917.

WALTER' A. HEINRICH.

"Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

